Ex-defense minister’s wife files for divorce after sentence upheld
Viki Stamati, the wife of the former defense minister convicted for accepting bribes and money laundering Akis Tsochatzopoulos, has filed for divorce.
According to the ANA-MPA new agency, Stamati, who has also been convicted for her role in the money-laundering scandal that landed her husband with a 20-year sentence, said in an announcement via her lawyer on Wednesday that she has twice been unfairly convicted because of her connection with her husband.
“It tears my soul apart, but the fabric of my family has been torn and as such I have a moral duty towards our only child to proceed with the dissolution of my marriage to a man I adored and will always adore, I respected and will respect, I admired and will always admire,” the announcement said.
On Tuesday, an Athens court ordered that 78-year-old Tsochatzopoulos back to prison so he could serve the remainder of his sentence after rejecting an appeal against his conviction. The former minister had been granted early release in May due to ill health.
A court is due on Wednesday to rule on whether the couple’s assets should be seized.
